


Getting To Hope You Like Me

by PurpleD54



Series: Casual [6]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 11:38:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12506536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleD54/pseuds/PurpleD54
Summary: What can happen at SHIELD behind the scenes especially if there are no current missions.





	Getting To Hope You Like Me

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own these Marvel babies. Just like to take them out for a joy ride.  
> This is part of the Casual series. You will need to read that first.

 

            When the alarm went off at 06:30, Clint edged out from under Phil and headed for the shower. He was excited about the things he was going to do today but had to keep them secret for now. He hurried. Jasper should be here soon and he wanted to have breakfast ready. Dressing quickly in jeans and a tee shirt, he picked up all the clothes from last night that had been thrown on the floor and folded them and left them on a chair.

            Hurrying to the kitchen, he started up the coffee maker then mixed up pancake batter and started a pan heating and another with bacon. A soft knock let him know that Jasper was here. Clint let him in and brought him into the kitchen.

            "How do you like your coffee, Jas," Clint asked getting out 3 mugs.

            "Cream and 1 sugar, but I can do it," Jasper said, getting up to help.

            "Thanks, I want to have everything ready when Phil wakes up. He's a bear before coffee and that bacon is going to wake him any second."

            "Who's a bear?" asked Phil tiredly with a blanket wrapped around him.

            "Do you like pancakes with butter or no butter with your syrup, Phil?" Clint deflected, handing him a mug with black coffee. Jasper's eyes gleamed with mischief, this was a sight he didn't ever get to see. On missions, Phil was always put together and the first one up.

            "No butter and Jasper, shut up. What are you doing here anyway?" said Phil. Clint fixed a plate for Phil and got him seated and eating with an answering gleam of mischief for Jasper.

            "I have to go do something and I asked Jasper to come and keep an eye on you. He is also reviewing the fight moves to see what I'm missing and need to teach my baby agents. And thank you Jasper, for getting here so promptly." Clint fixed a plate of food for Jasper and then motioned that he was going to slip out the door. Jasper nodded and began asking Phil questions about other types of training that was available in order to engage his attention. Clint slipped out quietly.

            R&D Bob was true to his word and had everything ready. They practiced with the routine Clint had devised. Bob made suggestions and they coordinated various camera moves. Then they filmed it from start to finish only stopping for a quick costume change towards the end. The music was perfect and had been timed to fit all the pieces correctly. When it was done, Bob and Clint sat down and laughed themselves silly. Then they planned the trap.

            "Now, young man," Bob started, "What day do you want to set this off?"

            "I think we need this for Tuesday. I have a lot of stuff on Monday, yeah Tuesday is good."

            "Okay, done. Oh, I have the ring you wanted. I had it taken out of your pay check under misc expense. You'll see it with the next pay stub. It was 25.00 which is the cost of the materials."

            "What about the cost for your time? That doesn't seem like enough." Clint was concerned. Bob motioned Clint to follow him to his office. Bob handed Clint the ring in a small box.

            "You have brought more joy into my life with the baby agents than I have had in a long time. It was so worth it. I know you're not getting anything for teaching them. I want you to know how much I appreciate you."

            "Aw, thanks Bob. I appreciate you too. I love knowing that I am one of only two people who know about your little joke. That might come out a bit with this little stunt. It all depends on who sees it. You know Fury will know."

            "Hah, three people. Fury's known for years. Not a problem. But he's likely to find out about this little stunt and may have something to say about your message."

            "I'll worry about that when the time comes. Right now, we're just friends. Friends with future intentions. We'll see what the Ninja says about that. Oh, I also wanted to ask a question. How can I get a legal document written up. Does SHIELD have a legal department?"

            "Of course. It's up on the 7th floor and they are all in today. Ask for Ron Jeffreys. He's a good guy. He will give you good guidance with whatever you need."

            "Bob, you just gave me another miracle. Thanks, man," said Clint heading for the door.

            Clint headed to the 7th floor and stopped at the Reception Desk and asked for Ron Jeffreys. The man at the desk called him, said a few words, listened and then hung up the phone.

            "Please have a seat, Mr. Jeffreys will be right out." Thanking him, Clint sat down. He didn't have a good history with lawyers. They were always trouble in his past so he didn't know what to expect.

            A pleasant middle-aged man came out to meet him. Clint stood and offered his hand. He was startled when the lawyer shook his hand and he could feel the gun calluses.

            "Yes, I still shoot. You have some odd-shaped calluses too, Mr.…"

            "Clint Barton, sir."

            "Beasts of Barton, that Clint Barton?" the lawyer asked.

            Clint smiled, "Yes, sir. My baby agents are quite something."

            "Come right this way. I have some questions for you. And I'm guessing you have questions for me." Nodding, Clint followed the lawyer to his office. Once inside the door, the lawyer closed it and said,

            "Lockdown office, code CB-01Jeffreys." There was a series of clicks and metal noises and Ron looked satisfied.

            "Ain't technology grand?" he said, "the office is now locked down. No one else can hear anything you tell me. It will be recorded however, but it will be under my voice lock only. Please, sit down. May I get you some coffee or water?"

            Clint was amazed at the acceptance of the man, willing to make him comfortable.

            "Oh, no thanks. Um…Bob in R&D recommended you. Said you were a good lawyer."

            The lawyer laughed and said, "Thank you, there isn't a higher recommendation in all of SHIELD. Did he make you wear the purple shirt?"

            "With white fringe, Mr. Jeffreys," Clint admitted. The lawyer laughed,

            "Oh, call me Ron."

            "Okay Ron, and you can call me Clint."

            "Tell me about the baby agent video. I still remember when I was a baby agent. So all that stuff resonates with me." Clint told him about visiting the training session and seeing the agents struggle. How he decided to try to help them and the response he had gotten. Ron told him that he had been an active field agent for a number of years but when age caught up to him, he used his education to serve SHIELD as a lawyer.

            "Now, what can I do for you?"

            Clint told Ron the story of his weird date with Phil and went on to tell him about the mangled card and the events of the dart game.

            "So what I need, is some kind of document, sort of like a prenup, I guess, that says I will never get any part of his Captain America collection, no matter what kind of relationship we have or don't have. Basically I need to set him free from that last asshole. I need it to cover every contingency. Even if he gives me something like Captain America underwear. If we no longer have a relationship, every part goes back to him. I will never have any claims to it whatsoever for any reason. I don't know how to express all this. I want to give this to him as a gift without him asking for it. Do you know what I mean?"

            The lawyer leaned back in his chair and smiled.

            "You are a very decent man, Clint Barton. Let me ask a few questions to make sure I understand."

            Clint answered his questions and asked more questions. Ron answered them and then told him he could write up the document he wanted.

            "How much will this cost?"

            "You work for SHIELD, Clint. We would perform this service for any agent."

            "Wow, I've never had any good experiences with lawyers. So this is amazing for me. Thank you. How long would it take?"

            "Well, I already have legal boilerplate written up for most of this so it's just a matter of pulling in pre-written paragraphs and putting it together in a document. We'll do three copies. You will sign all three. Then we will keep one, you will have one and you can present one to Agent Coulson. Let me think…how's Tuesday morning?"

            "Can you write it in English?" asked Clint. Ron laughed.

            "We can do a paragraph at the beginning that outlines the document and says in broad terms, the purpose and scope for it. And yes, that means in English."

            "That  sounds perfect," Clint said happily.

            Ron gave his office instructions to unlock and there were metallic slide sounds and twisting cylinders and the door clicked.

            Ron held out his hand to shake and Clint took it.

            "Clint, it was a privilege to meet you. I have heard about you and I've always wanted to see you shoot. I will have that document for you by Tuesday morning. You can come pick it up any time after 08:00."

            "I have my baby agents for the next week. That class starts at 07:00 so it might be lunchtime before I can pick it up. But I will be at the range at 05:00 every day for two hours for my own training and you can watch if you're awake. And if you've had coffee, bring a gun to shoot and I'll check over your form." Ron laughed,

            "Thank you for taking me seriously. I'll do it. I don't know which day yet but I will show up."

            Satisfied with the day's endeavors, Clint headed back to Phil's place. When he got there, Jasper was watching TV and Phil had gone back to bed.

            "I think he's missing you, Barton," Jasper said.

            "Awww, I can take care of that. Thank you for staying with him. I appreciate your time. And we will be going out again when he's feeling better. That place was perfect for Mad Dog, Hawk and Wolf. We will do it again soon."

            "I had a good time too for most of it. Oh, I am researching a list of fight moves that can still be added to your classes. I'll have that finished by Monday morning. I can also demonstrate for your class if you wish."

            "That would be great Jas, thanks. We start at 07:00. Actually they show up on the range on their own at 06:00 to shoot with me. You will have to think about what kind of music will go with the moves. Or I can figure it out once I see the moves. The baby agents can help too. They are getting to the point of taking responsibility for their own training. We'll work it out on Monday. And we have Level 3s coming in the afternoon to spar. Thanks for all your help." Jasper hurried off to work on his list. He was happy to be a part of the Beasts of Barton in this small way. Clint closed the door behind him and locked it.

            Clint went to the bedroom door and listened. He didn't hear anything so he opened it slowly. There was a lump in the bed. Clint moved to the side of the bed and was just about to pull the covers back when he was ambushed and pushed onto the bed. The lump turned out to be more blankets.

            "Damn Ninja," Clint shouted, "I can't even get you back."

            "I just took my pills a bit ago so I'm not feeling any pain right now. Jasper is a good nurse. A bit overbearing but that's understandable."

            "But how are your bruises?"Clint asked.

            "They are starting to fade and get better. Still hurts with direct pressure but I can move around better today."

            "So I can hug you?"

            "Oh yeah," Phil said happily. Clint immediately wrapped Phil in his arms and kissed him. Clint realized his mistake right away. When they were out of breath, he rolled them to the side.

            "I have to go," Clint said.

            "What now? Why?"

            "I'm in danger of messing up the slow down plan. I can't help it. I should go."

            "And I shouldn't ambush you. It's my fault too. We can do something else."

            "Like what?"

            "We can bake something. Fury filled my fridge and my pantry. I can make my mother's lucky scones for you. Or we can watch a movie, or we can go out someplace, like a museum or the mall."

            Clint snorted, "You would hate the mall."

            "Yeah, you're right about that."

            "The problem is," Clint explained, "that every minute I spend with you makes me want more. I'm having a real hard time with the slow down plan right now. I'm not asking for anything more. You've been through enough. I'm just saying I might have to take myself away from temptation. I think I need to give you room to breathe. Let you find out how you really feel." Clint got up from the bed.

            "I have to go. Now…I'll see you on Monday." Clint rushed out of the apartment and into his car. He thumped his head on the steering wheel. Phil had almost made him come in his pants like a teenager. That wasn't part of the slow down plan. Clint raised his head in wonder,

            "Holy shit, I love that Damn Ninja."

*****

            Clint stopped at the grocery store on his way home. His mind was in a whirl. Trying to push all these feelings back into the mental box was hard. He needed something to do to keep himself from heading back to Phil's place and doing something unforgiveable. For the rest of the day, he cooked. He cooked his favorite sauce and froze it in batches. He made pasta. Batch after batch. He cooked several other recipes he had learned in the circus , lasagna, Swedish meatballs, regular meatballs, hamburger casserole and froze most of it. Good thing he had picked up storage containers too. He kept himself busy. His heart ached with need but he tried to ignore it. The he cleaned the kitchen, took a cold shower and went to bed.

            By 06:00 on Sunday, he was at the range, the stretch of his muscles and the release of the arrows was settling him down. He needed to give Phil space after all that had happened Friday night. He wanted Phil to have the freedom to choose what he wanted. It would always be Phil's choice. What Clint wanted could not be allowed to interfere with that. Although, he might be able to influence it a bit. NO! It had to be Phil's choice. Freedom to choose. And not because he was running from something else. Doug's name was a bitter mantra but allowed him to push everything into a mental box. He would be professional and not embarrass Phil. He pulled on a cloak of coldness that left him sad but functional.

            Clint went home and took another cold shower. He turned on the TV for background noise and sat on the sofa with his laptop. And began the search for Card #34.

*****

            When Clint woke at 04:00 on Monday morning, it was with bittersweet feelings. He loved Phil Coulson. He would always love Phil Coulson. What he didn't know was if Phil felt the same way about him. He knew he needed to give Phil space after all the Doug stuff. He hoped Phil wouldn't just give up and move on without him. He was also excited about his baby agents. They would have more moves to learn today and would learn sparring with the Level 3s this afternoon. But first things first. He jumped out of bed and into a cold shower.

            Shooting on the range always relaxed him, reset his feelings and let him get a hold of himself. At 05:30, Ron the lawyer came in with a twinkle in his eye.

            "Whoa, you're up early, Mr. Lawyer, sir." Clint mocked. Ron laughed back,

            "Yes, I am. And I have your documents if you want to step over to this table."

            "I thought it was tomorrow when it would be ready."

            "Yeah, well, it got me all excited about the possibilities for you. So here it is." Ron opened his briefcase and took out a several files with the documents in it.

            "I wanted to get this done before your baby agents came in. So here, sign here, here and here."

            Clint signed where Ron indicated. He didn't even read the document. He knew that everything would be covered. Ron put one set of docs back in his briefcase and gave the other two to Clint. He even had an envelope to put Phil's version into. Which he did as soon as Clint had signed it. Clint had room in his bow case to put these until he was done on the range.

            "Thank you. I can't say it enough, but thank you. Okay, Tex, now let's see how you shoot." Ron laughed and slipped off his coat. He was dressed in jeans and a tee shirt which surprised Clint. He also had a hip holster with  guns that had been hidden by the coat.

            "With both hands, Sonny Boy." Clint shouted in delight at Ron's feisty reply and they went back to the range. Ron was actually very good with both hands. Clint still beat him, of course, but they had fun challenging each other with harder and harder targets. When they stopped to reload, they realized that the baby agents had come in and were watching them with big eyes filled with delight.

            "Okay, off to your lanes." Clint picked up his bow again so Ron could see him shoot that. Clint worked on speed shooting his arrows and it made Ron's mouth drop open in astonishment.

            "Now, that's a thing of beauty," he murmured in appreciation, "And with that, I need to go get back into lawyer gear and get to work." They shook hands promising another future get-together and Ron left.

            "Okay, I want to do that too," said Angela.

            "It's a lot of practice and one hand at a time," Clint said smugly. Angela nodded and went back to her lane. Clint checked the form of each agent with each hand, correcting and praising as he went along. At 06:45, they stopped to clean the guns as usual.

            "I have something I need to do before I come to class. I want you all to stretch. Jasper Sitwell has been looking over our video and gathering other basic fighting moves that you need to acquire. He will be there at 07:00. He can demonstrate the moves. I want you all to have input into it this time and figure out music for it while I'm gone. I'll be there shortly, but I also have Psych at 11:00 that I need to go to. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm being pulled in a bunch of different directions."

            "We're big agents, now. We can handle this. Don't worry. I know we won't always be together as a group on a mission but we will always have this to remember. And it's been very special. At least for me," said Angela. The others agreed right away. Clint told them again how proud he was of them and then hurried out the door and down the hall to the caf.

            Clint was so nervous. He only got coffee for Phil, didn't even get any for himself. His stomach was tied up in knots but this was no time to be nervous. He knocked on Phil's office door and opened it. He set Phil's coffee on the desk and pushed it over to him. Phil stubbornly didn't look at him. Clint took a deep breath and went around to Phil's chair and knelt down next to it on Phil's right side.

            "Phil, I need to say something to you." Clint pulled the envelope out from inside his shirt.

            "This is important. This is a gift for you." Phil's head jerked up but his eyes were hard. Clint continued, "I want to give you freedom. Freedom from the worry that asshole put you through. I don't want that asshole to ruin your whole life and make you afraid of having a relationship. You feel like you can't trust anyone because you don't know what they want from you. I don't want a relationship based on you hiding from that jerk. I want you to be free to choose. That's what this document says. Read it later. And I have this." Clint took the ring out of his pocket, "No, it's not what you think. It's a promise. For the rest of your life, no matter if we have a relationship…or not…I promise to always have your back. My bow and I are always yours." Clint picked up Phil's hand and slipped it on his right ring finger."It's a promise of freedom. Freedom to choose even if it's not me. It will always be your choice. You put your ring on me before our first date and I accept that. I will always be there for you in whatever level you choose." Clint kissed the ring on Phil's hand and got up and left. He knew if he looked back, he wouldn't be able to leave. They were at work and needed to stay professional. Clint wondered if he was going to be keeping Sykes company in Greenland.

            He hurried back to R&D barely keeping it together. He hadn't seen Phil in two days and didn't know where his head was. He kept repeating Doug's name over and over and it helped to make him focus. It also made him want to kill someone. So when he walked through the door to the dance studio, everyone gasped. Angela ran to him and hugged him. He hugged her back briefly, afraid that he would break down.

            "Alright then, Hawk! You should see what we are doing." Jasper's excitement was the distraction he meant it to be and Clint pulled himself together and focused on the work ahead. Jasper showed him the list of moves. The students had watched Jasper perform them and then sat down to determine the order of moves. One move right into the next. They were still talking about music when a song suddenly came on. It was the classical music from _Die Hard_. It was strong and thunderous and perfect for the moves they were doing.

            "Yes, Bob, it's perfect" Clint shouted over the music. They started moving through the list of basic moves that Jasper had brought. They stopped once to change the order of a couple of moves and then went through them again and again. Clint made sure that everyone was doing them correctly and that no agent was left behind. The looks on their faces were as joyous as the music. Even Jasper was moving with them, a big grin on his face.

            When everyone was out of breath, they stopped for a while. Each of them kept walking to cool down and drink water that Clint had handed out.

            "I have to go to Psych. Jasper, thank you for the information you brought us. The rest of you can take an early lunch if you want. Be back here by 13:00. We have a surprise for this afternoon." They all quickly decided on lunch and decided that Jasper was going with them. They couldn't wait to go back to the Purple Hippo and try other things on the menu. Jasper's mouth was still open with a look of astonishment on his face. They laughed and pulled him along with them.

            Clint told Dr. York about giving Phil the ring and the document and explained why. He also told her about Friday night and Phil's reactions. He admitted he was having problems with the slow down plan. He admitted to backing off and told Dr. York how unsure he felt. It felt like Phil was mad at him and he didn't know if he was doing the right thing. Then he told her about the trap that he and Bob had set for Phil and what was coming. She laughed long and loud.

            "Clint Barton, you are a most amazing man. I think you are doing everything right. You are giving him freedom and once he reads that document he will understand what you are trying to do. And by the way, we are going to have to talk about other jobs you have had before SHIELD. I have a feeling there is so much more to you than any of us have seen. I'm really proud of the progress you've made so far with yourself and changing your worldview, becoming more socialized, making friends, caring about the baby agents. We have more to go, but I think we can slow down the visits a bit to once a week. That way it won't get in the way of missions and your upcoming flying lessons."

            "How did you know…" Clint started, surprised, "Huh, you're a Ninja too, aren't you?"

            "No, but I have one on speed dial." Clint roared with laughter. He suddenly felt better than he had since Friday. He would just trust the good doctor and let the rest happen.

            Clint went back to the studio to begin stretching. The others were already there and also stretching. Jasper was there too. He admitted to having too much fun and nothing else to do currently.  When everyone was stretched, they went through the steps of the last segment they had done that morning in order to stay loose until the Level 3 agents arrived. Everyone was in synch and the music was powerful. When the door opened to let in the guest agents, the others walked to stay loose. Clint welcomed the new agents and explained what they were looking for. How he needed to teach the baby agents how to look for openings during a fight. The Level 3 agents had never worked with each other before and looked a bit lost. After stretching, Clint decided to start with a line dance to break the ice.

            He turned on the music and showed them the steps. This part was new for Jasper too. Clint made them intermingle with the baby agents so they had someone to copy. It was an easy step so before long, they were all in synch. Then Clint turned off the music and explained that the baby agents had a lot of moves but needed help with knowing how to spar and how to choose moves. The Level 3 agents started to spar with each other as a demonstration. Then they invited 2 baby agents against one Level 3. Soon it was agent against agent. They were trading names and learning moves from each other. The Level 3 agents were very positive and helpful. Clint announced that for the rest of the week, they would be sparring every day. During the last hour, the Level 3 agents asked for the fight moves from the line dance music. Clint demonstrated the order of moves and they all tried it without the music. Then Clint put the music on again and they all did the line dance until Clint shouted for the change. They all bounced into the fight moves. With the mirrors making it look like there were more people in the studio, it was a beautiful thing. Everyone was in synch. When they were all cooling down, Clint collected their phone numbers and added them to another group text and sent them each the video of all the baby agent moves. They were all talking together excitedly, making friends. Yes, Phil had chosen the perfect agents to send them.

            Damn Ninja.

            On Clint's way out, Bob motioned him over to his office.

            "I just wanted you to know that I put the video out there where I usually hide the purple shirt pictures."

            "I thought that wasn't going to be until tomorrow?" Clint said.

            Bob shrugged, "Nothing has tripped yet."

            "Or he found the trap and circumvented it. He is a Ninja, you know."

            "Would that be so bad?" asked Bob, "It might keep things quieter. Might be better in the long run."

            "You could be right. It's up to you. He is invading your purple shirt files. I gave him the ring today but I left to come here before he could respond. I don't know what's going through his head right now. Oh, and thanks for your help with the music. It was perfect."

            "I can set up the music you've been using to keep playing and change automatically so you don't have to keep changing it."

            "That would be great. I guess we're teaching the steps to the Level 3 agents. They are enjoying it as much as my baby agents. It’s a nice ice breaker for everyone. And as always, you keep giving me these lovely miracles." Bob laughed and Clint clapped him on the back as he left and went home.

*****

Phil Coulson went home early. He was thinking hard about all the things Clint had said. He hadn't even opened the envelope yet. He took off his suit jacket and hung it in the closet and rolled up his sleeves. It felt like Clint was drawing away from him but he had said it was because he was having difficulty with the slow down plan.

            Phil sat on his sofa and opened the envelope. The stiff paper and the SHIELD stationery were a surprise. As he began to read, his breath hitched. When he got to the end of the first sheet and started reading all the legalese in the document he stopped breathing. When he ran out of breath he started panting. He had never asked for this but it was a precious gift given freely from a big heart.

            He understood now, what Clint was trying to tell him about the ring and freedom. It was his choice. Clint wanted him but would stand back and _stand at his back_ if he wanted it, forever. He would never harass him for his time or for a secret or a commitment of any kind. He would just be there always. And he would never try to take his childhood. That's ultimately what all the Captain America memorabilia represented to him--his childhood. He didn't even know. But Clint recognized it and took steps to keep it safe.

            Damn Ninja.

            He realized now that Clint was not stepping back to reject him, but stepping back to give him the freedom of making the choice. _Clint was committed_. He accepted the ring Phil had put on him in secret. He wanted more but would let Phil choose.

            Phil's hands were shaking. Then he realized that his everything was shaking. How did he deserve a friend like this? He grabbed his laptop to see Clint's schedule to see where he would be right now. There was a notification email in his box. It was something he had set up himself to let him know when Bob had added new purple shirt pictures. But this was a video. He was cautious. Bob had never put a video out there before. He examined it carefully and saw the trap. Hah! It was easy enough to work around.

            He opened the video and there was Clint. The camera was in his face. He says Hello. Then the camera pulls back and Phil laughs. Clint is dressed in jeans and the big baggy purple shirt with white fringe. Raunchy music starts to play. Clint starts to move his hips and his hands move over his body, fringe flying. Phil can't look away. Clint's moves were sinuous and sexy. He swims in the bulky shirt but somehow, his movements are perfect. Clint turns his back and rips open the shirt. Each snap noise making Phil jerk. Clint turns to the front and opens one side as if flashing the camera. The shirt is so big, you can't see anything with the rest wrapped around Clint, then he flashes the other side. He turns his back and opens both sides, swaying his hips seductively. Then he drops the sides and making jazz hands, raises them over his head and pulls open the snaps at the cuffs.

            Phil laughs because Clint is doing the same moves that were in the flash drive pictures Phil had given Clint. Then Clint turns to look at the camera over his shoulder and the shirt dips down off Clint's shoulders but there is another shirt under it. Another glittery purple shirt but with snow white fringe. Clint takes off the baggy shirt but puts his arms up the sleeves at the wrist ends. The music changes to a waltz. Clint is now waltzing the baggy shirt around the room. At every point where he meets the ballet barre, he does a beautiful butterfly jump then waltzes to the next point and jumps again.

            And the music changes again, this time to a tango. Clint pulls one arm out of the sleeve grasping it at the end to create a tango dance partner. He stalks around the room performing flawlessly, finally kneeling into a low dip. Then he looks at the camera as it moves in closer and says, "This is for you Phil," and he bows his head crushing the shirt to his chest. The screen goes dark for a second then comes back with Clint in the same position. As the camera moves back, raunchy music starts again. The baggy shirt is gone and Clint starts moving over to a stripper pole in the studio and dances around it. This purple shirt fits him perfectly and molds to his every muscle. Clint flicks a snap open on the cuff. Then he swings around the pole again grinding his pelvis and unsnaps the other cuff. Clint stands in front of the pole with his back to the camera. He sways deeply from side to side holding the pole unsnapping another snap with each sway. Then he turns around and rips open the shirt and the last 3 snaps. Phil could feel his blood pressure rising. _Damn Ninja_.

            Clint takes the shirt off but he has a black short sleeved tee shirt on under the shirt. Clint stands sideways and raises his arm. The camera moves closer to his bicep and as Clint curls his arm up, the bicep bulges and the shirt splits in spidery cracks. Phil gasps. Clint licks the area over his bicep with the tip of his tongue.

            "Mine," screams Phil at the screen. Clint bites into the muscle and shirt and pulls a big piece of the shirt sleeve off. Then he turns the other way and raises his arm. With the camera on his bicep, he curls his arm again but only half way and then straightens it out again.

            "Do it," shouts Phil. Clint curls his arm up, again only half way and straightens it out again. Then Clint raises his arm up resting it on his head and makes a muscle and the whole shirt splinters under his arm with splits flashing skin all the way down.

            Phil screams. Clint puts his arm out again and this time curls it into a bulge and he bites into the muscle and fabric and tears it off with his teeth. Phil is panting. The camera moves into a close up of Clint's face as he says,

            "Phil, I am the present you gave to yourself." The camera moves backwards as Clint continues, "I think it's time for you to open your gift." Clint grabs a tab on the lower side of the shirt and pulls it. The black fabric tears easily in a diagonal strip across Clint's chest, over a trail of hair and golden skin and across one nipple. Clint grabs another tab a bit higher up and it tears another diagonal strip across his chest. Peeks of pecs are on display. Music starts up again. Clint dances around the pole for several minutes. Then Clint tears off the whole shirt.

            Phil is panting. Then Clint grabs the pole and slides down to the floor into an amazing split, his jeans stretched to the max. Next he grabs the pole and rolls his body up it into an upside down split, every muscle on display. In an amazing show of strength and dexterity he pushes his body up the pole in the upside down split position. When he is high enough he rolls out of it to stand next to the pole. He mouths Phil's name one last time, bows his head. The screen goes black and the video ends.

            Phil is stunned. He can't move. _He broke my brain. Damn Ninja_ , he thought.

            "Oh my God, I was mean to him," Phil said to himself, "He was trying to give me everything I needed and I was mean to him." _What if he thinks I don't want him?_  "I have to find him. Now." Phil dashed out of his apartment and into his car. He drove to Clint's apartment and ran all the way up the stairs and started pounding on Clint's door. There was no answer. Phil picked the lock. He has to know if Clint is here. Now. Once inside, he locked the door again. He could hear water running in the bathroom. He slipped off his shoes and walked through the place and into the bathroom and right into Clint's shower.

            "Phil?" Clint said in a surprised tone. Phil grabbed him and pushed him against the shower wall and kissed him deeply. Clint responded whole heartedly. Phil raised his head and asked,

            "Why is the water cold?"

            "I'm trying really hard not to go to your place and do something unforgiveable."

            "Oh, like I just did?" said Phil. Clint adjusted the water to a warmer temperature.

            "Phil, I'm trying to give you space. I want to give you everything," said Clint.

            Phil answered him with a gleam in his eye, "But you had me at hello."

            Damn Ninja.


End file.
